Top 10 Viewpoints in Croatia
Croatia's landscape is dominated by the Adriatic: a coastline of more than a thousand islands, walled medieval ports and limestone mountains that rise almost straight from the sea. Its best viewpoints play on this drama — looking down on red-tiled old towns, across archipelagos of bare white islands, or over the turquoise lakes of the interior. These ten overlooks, from Dubrovnik's walls to the summit above Split, capture Croatia at its most striking.
Srđ Hill, Dubrovnik
The hill of Srđ rises 412 metres directly behind Dubrovnik, and its summit gives the definitive aerial view of the old town's circular walls, terracotta roofs and the island of Lokrum beyond. A cable car climbs from just outside the city walls in a few minutes; there is also a zigzag hiking trail. Sunset, when the walls glow and the sea silvers, is the prime time.
Dubrovnik City Walls
The walk along Dubrovnik's medieval city walls — nearly two kilometres of fortifications up to 25 metres high — is itself a continuous viewpoint, looking down over the old town's streets and out across the Adriatic. The circuit takes around two hours and is busiest at midday; early morning or late afternoon gives softer light and thinner crowds.
Marjan Hill, Split
The forested Marjan peninsula rises to 178 metres above Split, and its viewpoints look back over the Diocletian's Palace old town, the harbour and the islands of Brač and Šolta across the channel. A network of paths and the Telegrin summit make it the city's green lung and finest urban overlook, reached on foot in under an hour from the centre.
Biokovo Skywalk
High above the Makarska Riviera, the Biokovo Skywalk is a horseshoe glass platform cantilevered out at around 1,228 metres on the Biokovo massif. The view plunges down the karst slopes to the coastal towns and across the Adriatic to the islands of Brač and Hvar. A toll mountain road climbs from Makarska; the platform is one of the most dramatic recent additions to Croatia's viewpoints.
Plitvice Lakes viewpoints
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is a chain of sixteen terraced lakes linked by waterfalls and travertine barriers. The upper viewpoint above the Veliki Slap, the park's tallest waterfall at 78 metres, and the panorama over the lower lakes give the classic views of turquoise water and cascades through forest. Boardwalks and trails connect a series of overlooks.
Fortica Fortress, Hvar
Above Hvar town, the Spanish Fortress (Fortica or Španjola) sits on a hill at around 90 metres and gives a sweeping view over the town's harbour and the Pakleni Islands scattered across the bay below. The walk up through the old town's stepped lanes takes about twenty minutes, and the view is especially fine at sunset over the archipelago.
Vidova Gora, Brač
The highest peak of the Adriatic islands, Vidova Gora rises to 778 metres on the island of Brač. Its summit looks straight down on the famous Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) beach and across to the island of Hvar and the open sea. A road and hiking trails reach the top; the view combines island, beach and the deep blue of the channel.
Sveti Jure, Biokovo
The highest peak of the Biokovo range, Sveti Jure reaches 1,762 metres and is the second-highest in Croatia. A narrow mountain road climbs almost to the summit, where the panorama on a clear day extends across the Adriatic to Italy and inland over the Dinaric ranges. The contrast between the high karst and the coast far below is extraordinary.
Lovrijenac Fortress, Dubrovnik
The free-standing Lovrijenac Fortress rises on a 37-metre rock just outside Dubrovnik's western walls. Its terraces give a striking view back at the city walls and the harbour, a different angle from the famous Srđ panorama. The fortress, used as a filming location, is reached by a flight of steps from the shore below.
Zavižan, Velebit
In the northern Velebit mountains, the area around the Zavižan mountain hut at around 1,600 metres offers a high karst panorama over the Adriatic islands of Krk, Rab and Pag to the west and the wild Velebit ridges inland. It is reached by a mountain road and trails through one of Croatia's most pristine national parks, beautiful in clear summer weather.
Explore on the map
From the famous walls and Srđ panorama of Dubrovnik to the Biokovo Skywalk and the island peak of Vidova Gora, every viewpoint above is plotted on the interactive map. Use it to see which are reached by cable car, mountain road or short walk, and plan a route that links the walled cities, islands and karst peaks of the Croatian coast.